


‘til we ain’t strangers anymore

by harringroveslut



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: A little bit of fluff, Angst, I’m sorry, Lots of Crying, M/M, Making Love, PTSD, Smut, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 18:07:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21324430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harringroveslut/pseuds/harringroveslut
Summary: the one in which steve and billy are idiots and try to fight their love for one another.based on the song “till we ain’t strangers anymore” by bon jovi and leann rimes.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 4
Kudos: 71





	‘til we ain’t strangers anymore

**Author's Note:**

> i didn’t get anyone to beta this i am SO sorry.

it’s been four months since steve harrington left billy hargrove. they hadn’t been dating or anything, simply falling in love with one another through intimate nights, delicate sneaky touches, and late drives to secluded areas just to spend time with one another. 

they haven’t spoken a word to each other since, acting as though their lives hadn’t revolved around each other for hundreds of days. after billy’s graduation, they completely avoid each other. the blonde copes by mindlessly fucking every girl who looks in his direction— he can’t with men, reminded of his first time with steve at just the thought. steve d o e s n ‘ t cope. he doesn’t think of it, pushes it onto the back burner. 

that is, until they run into each other in town. they both look so different to each other, and they certainly act different towards each other. steve gives an awkward wave, and of course, billy doesn’t acknowledge it. steve’s heart shatters. maybe billy doesn’t care about him anymore— he deserves it, for walking out the way he did, for completely giving up on him like everyone else in his life had. billy thought steve would be different, he was wrong. 

_it might be hard to be lovers, but it’s harder to be friends. baby, pull down the covers. it’s time you let me in. maybe light a couple candles, i’ll just go ahead and lock the door. if you just talk to me, baby, ‘til we ain’t strangers anymore. _

it’s been a week since they’d bumped into each other, and steve can’t get billy off of his mind, leading to him pounding on his window at two in the morning to wake him. ballsy, very ballsy, but steve harrington isn’t one to back down from his emotions. 

billy wakes with a startle, his face contorting into an expression that screams ‘leave me the fuck alone.’ he won’t answer. he knows exactly who it is and he simply will n o t bother, until— 

“billy, please open up. please.” steve’s voice cracks, sounding more broken than he’s been in awhile. and maybe it pulls on billy’s heartstrings, because he’s forcing himself out of bed and shoving the window open wordlessly. 

“you’ve got five minutes. you fuckin’ know neil would kill me if he knew you were in here.” billy seethes, planting himself down on the bed and running a hand through his curls. 

steve’s quick to lock the door, slinking down it to sit on the floor. “i’m sorry.” it’s all he can force out. he’s been drinking since eight and he can’t seem to pull himself together, his words slurred. 

“i don’t want to hear your apologies harrington. what’s done is done.” he’s standoffish, but his heart is s c r e a m i n g inside his chest, and boy does it hurt. he’s hurt every day since steve said goodbye. he stopped caring about neil’s abuse, stopped wishing for a better life, living on autopilot just to survive. 

steve’s shaking his head, brows furrowed, and he pulls his knees to his chest. “do you ever think about us?” he definitely shouldn’t have asked that, he knows the answer. he knows in his heart that billy doesn’t give a fuck anymore. he blew his chance. 

but oh, billy gives so many fucks, more than he should. it’s hard to close steve out, but he has to. he can’t risk getting hurt again. “no. is that why you’re here? to bring up shit from the past?” he speaks through gritted teeth, nostrils flared, knuckles turning white from how tight his grip is against the edge of the bed. “go the fuck home, steve. i told you to stay away from me and i meant it. you’re wasted and you don’t mean a damn word you’re saying.”

and steve loses it. he’s drunkenly crying, heaving into his palms, and billy has to take him home. the visit is so incredibly brief, but neither of them can deal with it anymore. he puts steve to bed, and he leaves through the bedroom window, hoping it’ll be forgotten and dropped once he sobers up. 

_lay your head on my pillow, i sit beside you on the bed. don’t you think it’s time we say some things we haven’t said? it ain’t too late to get back to that place, back to where we thought it was before. why don’t you look at me, ‘til we ain’t strangers anymore?_

two and a half weeks go by. neither of them have forgotten that night. it’s been eating billy alive, the sight of his former lover crumbling over their downfall over the spiteful words that left his own lips. he’s feeling guilty, reminded that his words were like venom to the already vulnerable boy. 

the first thing billy does that morning is get himself dressed, before heading over to steve’s house. he knows his parents won’t be home, they never are. he places three solid knocks to the front door. he shouldn’t be there. he knows it. but there he stands, feet planted at the doorstep. 

steve pulls the oak door open, expecting to see anyone but billy hargrove. he’s almost offended, however, he knows he shouldn’t have bothered billy the other night. if it weren’t for the remorse he feels on his own, he probably wouldn’t let the blonde in— but he does. 

the silence between the two is thick, making it difficult for billy to breathe or think. he’s never done anything like this before. he’s never had to own up to his actions and admit he’s sorry, and he was wrong. 

“har— i mean, steve. i’m here because— because i have to say— ugh, fuck it. i’m sorry. i’m an ass and i messed up. i was mean the other night and i shouldn’t have been. i just wanted to clear this up so both of us can forget and move on.” his words collide together, rambling as he tries to put his thoughts into words. 

“you’re all good. i shouldn’t have expected anything different. don’t worry about it, we’re even.” steve practically ices billy out, his words frigid and unrelenting. 

maybe it hurts a little even. it would’ve hurt less to not have been forgiven at all. billy’s embarrassed, mortified that steve holds so much coldness towards him. it’s worse than he originally thought after the breakup. 

in that exact moment, they’re left staring at each other. pain, hurt, regret fills their eyes. their gazes don’t break, like they’re expressing everything in their hearts without speaking a single sentence. but it’s steve who breaks away first, clearing his throat. 

billy ends up leaving soon after. there’s nothing more he could say to try. steve didn’t seem like he wanted to even hear it. billy isn’t going to be the one to push it this time. 

_sometimes it’s hard to love me, sometimes it’s hard to love you too. i know it’s hard believing that love can pull us through. it would be so easy to live your life with one foot out the door. just hold me baby, ‘til we ain’t strangers anymore. _

it isn’t even a week later, and billy’s miserable. he’s so fucking torn up, every fiber of his body is screaming for steve and it feels like he’s tanking. countless sleepless nights, filled with nightmares and sleep paralysis and ptsd breakdowns. he’s getting worse, he feels it. nobody’s ever been able to bring him out of it, except of course, steve. 

this night is particularly awful, rousing after nightmares of the mind flayer almost killing him, of being possessed and used like a goddamn puppet. there’s a slick sheen of sweat beading at his forehead, hot tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. he needs steve. he n e e d s steve. 

he’s desperate, shoving himself out of bed to stumble to the phone. he’s quiet, clasping a hand over his mouth to muffle the sobs that escape until steve picks up after the fourth ring. 

“okay, who’s the funny guy who’s trying to call me this late at night?” steve hisses down the phone, groggy and half out of it. billy woke him up, he feels a little guilty. 

“i need you. please. i’m so sorry, steve, i’m so fuckin’ sorry. please.” his tone is shattered, gasping through quiet cries. he whispers, afraid he’ll wake up neil or susan. he really doesn’t need them on his case for being a ‘little bitch.’ 

steve can hear the fear in the other’s voice. he’s only ever heard billy sound like this in the middle of his meltdowns. his head is screaming at him not to go, to stay in his comfy, cozy bed and not give a single worry about billy hargrove— but god, there’s that part that loves him and it’s weighing out everything else. “i’ll be there soon.” is all he says before he hangs up the phone. 

billy’s bare feet pad into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. he cries into his pillow, he can’t stop the tears from coming. 

half an hour passes and billy’s scared that steve won’t show up. of course he shouldn’t show up, billy hasn’t done anything to deserve steve’s presence, hasn’t done anything to deserve steve’s comfort. he hyperventilates, running a hand through his curls and he can’t breathe when— 

“hey, hey, i’m here.” the window’s pushed open and in climbs a panting steve. he doesn’t hesitate when he kicks off his shoes and slips into bed behind the blonde. normally, billy had been the big spoon when they were together, but on nights like these, he needed to be held. and that’s what steve always did. 

it’s no different from now. steve’s got both arms wrapped tightly around billy’s middle, clutching him close. “you’re safe. you’re safe, i promise you. nothing can hurt you.” he murmurs as he buries his face against the back of the californian’s neck. 

billy’s body goes lax, pressed back to steve’s warmth. his breathing returns to normal, slowly, when steve’s fingertips trace along his forearm. it’s almost magical, the effect steve has in calming him down. 

steve stays the night that night. they fall asleep together, cuddled up just like they used to. everything feels right, even just for the moment. 

_it’s hard to find forgiveness when we just turn out the light. it’s hard to say you're sorry when you can't tell wrong from right. it would be so easy to spend your whole damn life just keeping score._

the next morning is interesting, to say the very least. billy’s still fragile from the night before, thankful steve’s there to coax him through the rough patch. maybe he’s in his feelings, maybe he’s genuinely curious, but his thoughts get the best of him. 

“why did you leave me?” billy’s voice is softer than steve has ever heard it, almost like he’s afraid to even ask. it has steve burning with self-reproach, biting back the heavy sigh that threatens to escape. 

“we weren’t even together. you didn’t want to be together.” steve’s pulling away as he speaks, retracting his arms from around the other, until billy flips around and sits up, hands wrapped around steve’s wrists. he won’t take that for an answer. 

“no. you know i’m not one to do shit like this, but it’s happening. w h y did you leave me? why did you drop me like i meant nothing to you, harrington? why did you do the one thing you promised me you’d never do?” billy can’t tell if he’s angry or if he’s upset, or both, but once again, he’s crying. he hates crying. 

steve pauses for a moment. he’s taken aback at the way billy just spills everything out the way he had. it’s not something he’s used to, but it’s something he wished had happened all along. “i left because i didn’t think you wanted to make this a permanent thing. you said all along it was just . . . fucking. i don’t know.”

“you know damn well it wasn’t just fucking. you know how i feel about you, steve.” billy’s entire body is trembling from the anger, and steve can’t fight back his own watery eyes. 

“no, i don’t. you never told me, not unless your dick was in me.” steve’s quick at the draw, shaking his head as he sits up as well to glance at the slightly shorter boy just in front of him. it’s been a l o n g time since they’ve been so close, it almost feels natural, aside from the arguing. 

billy takes steve’s hand into his own, lifting it to rest against his chest, palm flat. “you mean to tell me you can’t feel it? that you couldn’t feel it at all? steve, you’re even more of an idiot than i thought. i let you in. i let you see parts of me that nobody else will ever get a fuckin’ glimpse of. feel my heartbeat and tell me you don’t know how i feel.” 

steve is completely silent, at a loss for words. the thrumming of billy’s heartbeat beneath his fingers has his own going a million miles a minute. he needs to fix this, needs to make it right. he can’t let the opportunity go. 

“i’m in love with you.” the brunette’s voice leaves his lips quicker than he can stop himself and he’s left with his mouth hanging open, staring at the other like a deer in headlights. 

_so let's get down to it baby, there ain't no need to lie. tell me who you think you see when you look into my eyes. let’s put our two hearts back together and we'll leave the broken pieces on the floor. make love with me baby, ‘til we ain't strangers anymore._

what’s a makeup without a little makeup sex, right? they’re lucky that everyone had already left the hargrove-mayfield residence. that’s how they’ve ended up here— billy on top of steve, rocking his hips against the other’s to press deep into him. it’s different this time, though. gentle, so gentle and passionate. 

billy places a kiss to steve’s forehead. “i love you.” and another kiss to his nose. “i love you.” and another kiss to his cupid’s bow. “i love you.” and a plethora of other kisses against steve’s face. it’s the first time billy has openly admitted his love for steve and the both of them are practically seeing stars. 

their lips lock, and steve releases hums of whimpers and moans into the blonde’s mouth. it’s heaven. billy hooks steve’s legs around his waist and thrusts into him with fervor, necklace dangling from his chest. “fuck, i love you.” he can’t stop saying it. and every time he says it, steve feels himself getting closer to his orgasm. 

a hand sneaks between the two of them as billy wraps it around steve’s length, stroking him in time with the way he fucks into him. “tell me you love me, too, harrington.” usually he’d be smug about it, but at this point, he’s desperate to hear it back, chasing at his own pleasure. 

“i— shit, i love you. i love you, i love you, i love you.” he rambles as he tips his head back and their lips collide once more. he can’t even give a warning before he’s coming, releasing into billy’s hand, and the blonde is soon to follow. 

they’re messy, sweaty, sticky with bodily fluids but neither of them care. billy’s quick to pull steve into his arms, cuddling up to him like his left depends on it. it’s euphoric, being so close to one another, taking in the warmth they’d both missed for over four months. 

“do you really love me?” steve’s the first to ask. the last time he’d been told that he’s loved was with nancy wheeler, and everyone knows how that worked out. 

billy rolls his eyes and smacks a hand against the brunette’s chest. “yeah, i do. stop asking.” there’s a grin on his features as he leans down to nuzzle his face into the crook of the other’s neck. 

steve knows he’s right where he’s supposed to be. he‘s home. 

_we aren’t strangers anymore. _


End file.
